New Guy
by PrincipalCellist
Summary: /I always found it hard to believe that people like him would talk to me through choice. So that meant he was kind as well as attractive. Oh, yeah - a guy like him definitely had a girlfriend./ Puzzleshipping. One shot.


I must be a really horny and perverted person to keep posting these things...*shrugs* but that's okay. I know all my readers are as horny and perverted as I because they read them. *raises her eyebrow* Yes, I am talking about _you_. *laughs* So! Welcome to yet another guilty pleasure story. It's another long one, so I hope you like it.

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><p>I stepped into the classroom, my heart beating so hard that I feared that the other students could hear it. I felt my face flush as a few heads turned my way curiously, and I started to wish I was somewhere – <em>anywhere<em> – else but here. I started to evaluate myself in my head; what must I look like? Did my outfit look too flashy? Did it look like I was trying too hard? Was my hair a mess? Perhaps the wind had blown it out of place on my walk over...

This was how most - no - _all _social situations started for me. It was nothing new. I'd been dealing with my social anxiety since I had been about twelve years old. I was doing everything in my power not to let it affect my life and my future, but I was now twenty years old and I was still finding it difficult to do anything that involved being around other people. Making friends was a nightmare (though I was lucky to find three best friends: Jou, Anzu, and Tristan), class discussions were brutal—and class presentations were even worse! By some strange miracle, I'd managed to push myself into further education, regardless of the ache in my gut telling me that it would mean even more awkward social situations. It would also mean living with total strangers and being surrounded by new faces everyday.

You just got to _love _college.

My first lectures of the semester had been almost easy, but the classes themselves were more difficult. For example, today there were no seats free in the back – or anywhere else in the classroom – besides one. It was next to some guy with crazy tri-colored hair (surprisingly like mine) and pale skin who had his back to me and was talking on his phone in a whisper, despite our teacher standing at the front of the class and preparing to start. I couldn't tell if he was rude or if it was okay to talk on the phone before class.

I walked to the seat and sat down as quickly as I could, taking care not to make too much noise as I got my things out of my bag. My neighbor finished up his call with a whispered, "Yeah...Love you, too, Mana. Bye," just as the teacher began to introduce himself and this semester's topic. My neighbor turned around, looked at me with stunning ruby eyes, and smiled at me in silent greeting. I—of all things—blushed, immediately looked down at my blank paper, and started fiddling with my pen. I wasn't sure if I imagined it or not, but I thought I heard a low chuckle from him.

_Great, I thought, _my classmate already thinks I'm a freak. __I shook my head sharply. No...I was probably overreacting to everything. There was no actual way I could know what my new neighbor was possibly thinking. I sat there doodling for a good twenty minutes, safe in the knowledge that I couldn't be called upon today because the class was only introductory so there weren't any questions that the teacher could ask of individuals.

"Now," The teacher called to us. "I'd like you to talk with your partner about what you want to get out of this class and what you think the key aims of this course are." With those words, he sat down at his desk and pulled out a pile of essays that he started to read through. At the thought of a discussion with a stranger, my hands turned clammy and my heart rate began to pick up speed.

_God, get over it_, I thought, calming myself with a deep breath. _It's just talking. Why am I always like this?_

My neighbor turned so his whole body was facing me.  
>"Hey, I'm Yami." He said, watching me with an almost-smile on his lips.<p>

I stole a glance to the side and gave a nervous smile.  
>"Um...Yugi." I muttered back.<p>

"Nice to meet you." He looked down at his paper full of writing, then over at my page of doodles with a wry look. "Nice notes." His lips turned up into a real smile, and I was shocked to see how nice it was. I blushed at his comment and immediately turned the page of my notebook to a blank one. This time he _definitely_ chuckled. I was sure of it. "So, what do you want to get out of this class?" He asked. "Personally, I'm just doing this because they wouldn't let me study philosophy without taking this damn logic class. So here I am." He gestured around him with his hand.

"Well, um..." I glanced up at him and saw that he was staring at me with a patient look on his face, waiting for my response. How nice of him. "Well, I kind of like logic. It's simple, you know? It makes perfect sense."

"Not to me," he retorted. "What do you want to be?"

"I like…history and stuff like that. I was thinking about becoming an archaeologist."

"You must be pretty smart then." His eyebrows raised a bit. "I think I'll stick with you."

I shifted in my seat. Compliments always made me squirm.  
>"I'm not that smart, really. No smarter than anybody else here."<p>

"So you're just a pretty face, then?"

I didn't know how to react to a blunt thing like that, so I laughed a little as I felt my cheeks flush. Did he seriously just call me..._pretty_? Another bit of nervous laughter escaped me. His bluntness and humor aside, I liked Yami. He seemed like a good guy. It was possible we could be friends. Actually, if I hadn't known any better, I would have thought he was flirting with me.

Yami's phone gave a beep to signal that he had a new text message and he gave me an apologetic look as he pulled his phone out of his pocket to read it, momentarily pausing our conversation. _Probably his girlfriend_, I thought. I took my chance to give him a quick once over. There was no denying it - he was really good looking. I was sure he was older than me, maybe a year or two. He may have been sitting down but I could tell that he was on the shorter side, like me - though I was sure he was probably a couple inches above me. I had already noticed his ruby eyes; they were the kind that you could lose yourself in. I had never seen someone with such a strange color, besides my own amethyst irises. I was surprised that Yami was even talking to me, actually. I supposed he had to, considering we were sitting together and had been instructed to discuss the topic with our partners. I always found it hard to believe that people like him would ever talk to me through choice, let alone actually maintain a real friendship. So that meant he was kind, too.

Oh, yeah. A guy like him _definitely_ had a girlfriend.

I looked away before Yami could catch me staring. That was the last thing I wanted. I didn't want him to know that I was both weird _and _gay. I mean, I wasn't ashamed of my sexuality and would never deny it when asked, but I was pretty sure that it would put a damper on any possible friendship and I knew I could really use at least one friendly face in these classes, so I wouldn't say unless he specifically asked.

At this point, the teacher stood up and instructed us on the reading we were required to do for next week's class. I scribbled down the book and page numbers quickly before packing my stuff away in my bag. I stood up and flung my backpack over my shoulder. I was in a rush to get back to my own room where I could get on with my work and get away from the watchful eyes of people.

I left the room without saying anything else to Yami, but he was on my mind for the rest of the day. As soon as I had reached my room, I began cursing myself for the things I _didn't_ say and kept thinking of things I _should_ have done. I should have spoken more. I should have hung around at the end of class. I should have asked what he was up to this evening. I shouldn't have blushed so much. I shouldn't have left so quickly without saying goodbye. I must have looked so rude and stupid. I heaved a sigh. These were the kind of thoughts that usually plagued me when I recapped various social situations, but the only difference today was that I was genuinely looking forward to seeing Yami again. I'd probably embarrass myself and stumble over my own words once more, but it didn't seem to matter. I wanted to see him despite that.

I remembered that he'd been talking to someone on the phone. Mana, if I remembered correctly. He had said he loved her. My heart dropped a little, but then I cursed myself for being so silly. So what if he was straight? So what if he had a girlfriend? It didn't mean that we couldn't be _friends_. I wanted to have friends. I hated that my three closest friends weren't going to the same college as me. (In Anzu's case, she wasn't even in the same _country_ as me anymore. She had been accepted into a dance school over in America.)

With another sigh full of regret, I fell face first onto my bed.

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The next morning, I couldn't help but smile when I entered my class and found Yami sitting by himself at the back of the room. But even so, I felt that familiar fear of being around so many people. Yami suddenly looked up and waved at me. I stood there for a moment, not sure what he wanted, until I realized that he was actually waving me over to sit next to him. I quickly walked up the aisle between desks to him before anyone could see my pink face. When I sat down and greeted him, we talked about what other classes we had and got on with our work. I stole a few glances every now and then just to see his face. He asked for my help on some of the questions and listened intently to my explanations. It felt good to know that someone appreciated my help.

For the rest of the week, every time I walked into classes that I shared with Yami, he would signal for me to join him. By Friday, I had spent the whole week ogling over Yami in our classes together or when I saw him in the lecture halls or around campus. He was often on his own, which surprised me. I knew by now that a lot of people liked him, but it seemed he actually _preferred_ to be alone. I occasionally saw him talking to the same girl again and again, and also a sour faced guy with white hair. Yami and the other guy seemed to dislike each other, but then I'd look again and they'd be laughing. I guess it was just one of those kinds of friendships.

I was also starting to worry for my sanity. I was becoming hooked on a man I had known for only about a week.

I tried to keep my glances in his direction to the minimal on Friday and, as usual, when the hour was up and our class was over, I quickly packed up my things and got ready to dart from the room. I had only taken a couple of steps away from the chair when Yami reached out and grabbed my wrist to stop me. My heart suddenly skipped a beat, whether because of my anxiety or because I was attracted to Yami, I wasn't completely sure.

"Hang on a sec," Yami said, dropping my wrist, "are you free tonight? You want to come to the student bar with me and some friends?"

I instantly looked for an excuse. Not because I didn't want to spend time with Yami, but because I didn't like going to bars. They made me nervous and I wasn't much of a drinker. In my 20 years, I had only drank alcohol once. And that was only because Jou had spiked my soda on my sixteenth birthday as a joke. Not a good memory.

"I have a lot of work to get finished," I blurted. "And a couple of assignments to start."

"We've only just started the semester, so you can't have _that_ much to do." Yami commented with a small pout. "Give me your number and I'll text you with the time and stuff." He pulled out his phone, so I had no choice but to recite my number to him. "'Kay. I'll text you later." He said, standing. "See you, Yugi." He smiled and walked past me.

I stood there for a moment, wondering whether I really should go out tonight. I didn't really want to; there would be lots of people. It would be uncomfortable for me. What if I made a fool out of myself? But I also really did want to go. I wanted to make friends and hang out with Yami. I hated myself for my anxiety that always was getting the best of me. I knew that it would be uncomfortable and hard, but I wanted to try it. I could do at least that, right?

I carried on this internal argument with myself all the way back to my room. Once inside, I sat down at my desk and started on some of my reading to take my mind off of the prospect of going out tonight. But I couldn't concentrate, and after an hour my phone beeped to signal that I had a new text message. I pulled it out of my pocket.

_'Hey, it's Yami. 7pm at The Border sound ok?' I read. _The Border was our local student bar. My heart skipped a beat, because I had heard about how busy it was in there. I thought about having to push myself through the crowds of people to find Yami and having to stand around with students I didn't know. It made me shudder. Then, at 6.30 p.m., when I was still sitting around and contemplating my options. My phoned flashed and vibrated across the desk. I knew before I even checked the caller ID that it would be Jou.

"What's up?" I answered. I could be myself with Jou. He was my first real friend.

"Yug! I need you ta call Anzu and tell her ta stop pressuring me into asking Mai out!" He complained. Mai was a tall, blonde, fiesty, purple-eyed girl that Jou had meet three months ago. They liked each other, but they were both to stubborn and prideful to admit it.

I laughed. "Jou, I don't think anything I say will stop her."

"Ugh." He grunted. "So what are you doing on this lovely Friday evenin'? You made any friends yet?"

"Actually..." I wasn't sure whether to tell him about my offer from Yami. Jou knew about my anxiety and he had made it his duty to keep reminding me of how I needed to put myself out there more and take chances. He also knew that I was gay, which meant that he would literally pounce on the idea of me meeting up with another guy and he'd _insist_ that I go. I rubbed my forehead and told him anyway. "I _might_ be going out to the local bar in half an hour or so. A guy from class invited me."

"Wait. Am I hearing you correctly? Yugi Muotu is actually going to a _bar_ on a Friday night with a _guy_?" His tone was amused. "I'm proud of you, man. You're growin' up!"

"I'm not sure though.

"About what? You need to put yourself out there, Yug! I know it scares you but it won't get any better if you don't push your limits and try new things. It's just a bar, what's the worst that could happen?"

"I could be humiliated. I could drink too much and throw up in front of everyone there. Or I could drink too much and sleep with a bunch of random guys. Or break a bone, or—"

"Seriously? Use your big brain. I wasn't telling you ta go out and get _drunk_! Just be responsible and have a good time. Nothin' bad will happen unless you let it. You deserve to enjoy yourself." He sighed. "I really wish you'd just chill and let someone see how awesome you really are. It's killing me that you can't do that. Please, you need to start helping yourself."

"I guess…you're right."

"I know I am." He responded. "So what's this guy like?"

"He's just a good guy, you know? I really like being with him. It's fun." I sighed. "But I'm pretty sure he has a girlfriend."

"_Pretty sure_?" __He repeated. "Why don't you just ask him?"

"I can't just ask that, Jou!"

"Sure you can! Besides, if anyone can turn a straight guy into a gay guy, it'd be you. So stop worryin'."

"What's that supposed to mean? I don't _want _to make him something he's not."

"That's not what I meant." Jou laughed. "Well I'll let you go now. Make sure you let me know how it goes."

"_If_ I go."

"You better."

"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes. "Bye, Jou."

We hung up, and I was left wondering what the hell I should do. After another minute, I jumped up from the bed and pulled out an outfit from my wardrobe as quickly as I could, before I had the chance to change my mind. Less than an hour later I was standing outside The Border, my stomach churning and my heart pounding.

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><p>I could see Yugi approaching from the distance, but he hadn't seen me yet. I hoped he wouldn't mind that it would be just the two of us. I hadn't been able to convince my two closest friends to come out on such short notice; they both had other plans already. In all honesty, though, I was actually pretty glad for this. I wanted to get to know Yugi more and I somehow liked the idea of having him all to myself. I had always been kind of selfish like that even as a kid. I quickly shook my head. I was a moron. It's not like Yugi was my own personal toy or whatever. Of course he would have other friends besides me.<p>

I called out a greeting to get his attention. "Hey, Yugi! Over here." I started walking over to him.

He turned his head in my direction and I waved. He looked uncomfortable and nervous as hell. When we got closer, he gave me brief eye contact before he took a deep breath and said, "Hey." in reply.

I had found myself attracted to Yugi almost instantly, from the moment he sat down next to me at the beginning of the week. (And that was a pretty big deal for me.) I was disappointed that Yugi always seemed in a rush to leave at the end of our classes, and for the whole week I had been left staring at the door, trying to figure out what I had said that made him go so fast. I tried to convince myself that it probably wasn't anything personal; it was obvious that he was shy when it came to being around people. His shyness actually shocked me; I had learnt that people who looked as good as he did were usually never shy, but more confident. Something about him held my interest, and I had only known him for a week. All I was really sure about was that I wanted to know everything about him. I liked spending time with him, and I wanted to be his friend – possibly something more.

That shocked me the most. I had never been a long-term relationship kind of guy.

"You look great," I blurted before I could stop myself. Yugi turned pink and gave a slight smile. "I hope you didn't have too far to walk. It's kind of chilly tonight," I said. I was making small talk, surprised to find myself feeling nervous. I was usually fairly confident and pretty sure of myself. There had to be something wrong with me. I can't believe I had just talked about the freaking _weather_. If he thought I was stupid before, he probably considered me a complete dumbass now.

"No, I…I live on campus. Block D." He replied. He was finally making eye contact with me now and smiling a little. His shoulders had dropped and he seemed more relaxed.

"Oh, right," I commented. "I have a flat down the street. I have some money to do that—I've been saving my money since I was thirteen. I thought renting a flat would work out better than staying on campus. I like having my own space." _Stop talking! _I thought to myself.

Yugi didn't seem to mind my rambling, though. He just nodded at me.  
>"So I'm guessing you're older than me, then?" He stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm twenty."<p>

"I'm twenty-two."

We stood there for a moment in silence, just looking at each other. Yugi looked away first, shifting under the weight of my stare. Was he always like this, or was it just when he was around me? I wondered if he suspected that I was bi and whether that was what was making him feel a little uneasy. But I couldn't see Yugi as a homophobe or anything like that, so I comforted myself with the thought that he was just shy.

"I'm afraid it's just us." I started, hating the silence. "My friends already had other plans tonight."

"Um...That's okay."

I wanted to say something smart and funny, but nothing came to mind, so I stood there uncertainly. "You want to go inside?" I gestured into The Border, which was kind of crowded tonight. You could hear music coming from inside. Yugi cast a nervous look at the building and I started to regret my choice of location. I should've invited him somewhere else. I could tell that this wasn't the kind of place he'd usually hang out at, but it made me feel kind of warm inside to know that he had come tonight despite that. He had left his comfort zone in order to meet up with me, and it made me feel happy in a strange way. "You know, we can always go somewhere else if you don't like it here."

Yugi looked relieved. "Oh, thank god. Really?" He sounded hopeful.

"Sure, we can just go to my place and hang out and chat. Do you like games? I have an X-box and a Wii. Or we could play some music or something."

Yugi looked at me, suddenly really interested.  
>"You like games?" He asked.<p>

I was surprised at his responce to that. "Yeah," I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. "I mean, it's probably childish, but I've always liked playing games."

"Yay!" He cheered. "Me, too. Let's go."

He followed me as I lead the way to my apartment. We made more small talk about what kind of games we liked as we went. The conversations got easier as the minutes went by. I stole a glance at him when he wasn't looking and noticed how much less tense he looked. When he didn't think anyone was looking, his whole body was so much more relaxed and he looked so happy and peaceful.

And then, so suddenly, I felt like I wanted to kiss though came into my head like lightning. There was something definitely wrong with me. We approached my building, and I pulled my keys from my pocket, willing the night air to cool down my burning face.

* * *

><p>As I approached Yami's apartment, I was a lot more at ease. Talking to Yami seemed so easy once I had taken the giant step of putting myself out there and meeting up with him. Jou was right – for the first time in his life. I smiled to myself. I was also secretly glad that Yami and I had a lot of common interests.<p>

He let us in to the building, and led me up a flight of stairs, telling me that his apartment was on the second floor. When we got in, I saw that the apartment was tidier than I had expected. I had kind of pegged Yami for being a bit messy. It wasn't huge but felt just like a home should. He headed over into the kitchen and pulled two sodas from the fridge while I sat on the couch, looking at my surroundings. He threw himself down on the other end of the couch, holding the soda out for me. I took it silently.

"I don't know whether you drink alcohol or not," He said, nodding at the soda.

"This is fine." I assured him. "I'm not much of a drinker. My friend - Jou - his dad used to drink all the time. It wasn't very pleasant to see. It kind of put me off of the stuff." I shut up after that. I had no idea why I was telling him it. It was kind of personal. I hoped Jou wouldn't be mad for me talking about it.

"Used to? So he quit then?" He took a swig of his soda.

"His dad got help and he's been sober for a year now."

"I see."

"So why did you decide to come here for college? And live here? You could've stayed with your family if you didn't like dorms, you know..."

"I just..." He trailed off, and there was an awkward silence. He pulled the tab off of his soda and tossed it onto the coffee table, looking distant. Finally he sighed, rubbed his forehead, and said, "Family shit. I had to get away from it." He looked at me and smiled a little. "What about you? Is your family nice?"

"Um, well…" I looked into Yami's eyes and felt a sudden burst of confidence. I could dothis. Just pretend I'm talking to Jou. "Actually, my parents are dead. I lived with my grandpa and worked for him in his game shop. I came here because I wanted to be independent and I have..." I paused for a second, looking for the right word, "Well, I have _issues _with meeting and being around people, so I kind of forced myself to pursue further education despite that. It's a struggle for me, but what doesn't kill me can only make me stronger, right?"

Yami nodded, as if he understood and cared. I found myself believing that he did.  
>"So, do you want to talk about your parents? Is that why you're so shy?"<p>

His question took me by surprise. It was one thing to be shy and anxious all the time, and another to have it outright discussed. I adjusted myself in my seat.  
>"I'm not sure," I finally admitted. "I don't think that's it. My parents died when I was only four. I don't know why I'm so…why I'm like <em>this<em>."

"It's okay Yugi, you don't have to talk about it. Forget I asked." He reached out and touched my shoulder. "But if you ever want to talk, I'll listen."

"No, it's fine."

"I'm sorry, Yugi." He moved his hand away from my shoulder, and I wished he hadn't. The sudden chill shocked me. I couldn't stop thinking about him touching me. But then I remembered that he had a girlfriend, and I willed myself not to read too much into the gesture. He was just being friendly. I finished off my soda.

"It's really okay." I said.

He nodded. "So what about the shyness?"

I paused. "I…well, like I said earlier. I just don't know."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be pushy. I was just curious."

"Don't worry. God, it's just so easy to talk to you. You don't realize how _rare _it is for me to talk to someone like this. It's nice."

"Well I'm glad to hear it." He paused a bit before he continued. "I mean…because I like you, Yugi. It easy for me to talk to you, too. You're a great guy. Don't ever feel too shy to talk to me, because I'm happy to listen to you. I really enjoy hanging out with you." I could only look at him. His words had given me butterflies. I caught his eyes again and he fixed me with a look, as if daring me to look away. I couldn't, though. There was just this...this _thing_ about him that was keeping me hooked. I wasn't sure if I imagined him moving closer, but my heart lodged itself in my throat and my palms were starting to sweat.

At that moment, I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted it more than I had ever wanted anything. I wanted to free myself of this stupid shyness and anxiety and just, you know, kiss him. I wanted to feel his lips against mine and experiance what it was like to be free. His phone beeped, sounding quite loud in the quite, and snapped me out of the trance I seemed to have been in. I shuffled a little in my seat, moving a few inches away from him. I couldn't believe myself. What was I doing?

He sighed and gave me an apologetic glance before pulling his cell out of his pocket and flipping it open to read the message.  
>"Your girlfriend?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant, like I hadn't just been tempted to kiss him.<p>

"What?" He blinked, shocked. "No. Hell, no. It's my best friend, Mana. She and Bakura were the two who couldn't make it tonight. She's twenty, like you. But I'm sure she's your polar opposite. It's like she's jacked up on coffee twenty-four-seven." He stopped and looked at me sharply. "_Wait_. You thought I had a _girlfriend?"_

I stayed silent, choosing not to respond to his question. The emphasis he placed on the word 'girlfriend' confused me. What was he implying? I didn't for one second want to believe that he was gay, too. That would be just too much good fortune for someone like me. But then, even if he was gay, it didn't automatically mean he would be interested in me. But wait, hadn't he also just implied that he thought I was amazing? He shuffled in his seat, closing the space I had just created between the two of us. My heart gave a small jolt.

"I don't have a girlfriend, Yugi." He said in a low tone.

Yami had leaned a little closer to me. This time I was sure of it. I felt his hand brush lightly against my arm. The contact caused my heart to hurt. My stomach twisted and my skin burned from his touch. But all in a good way. He was close enough that I could feel his body heat. His warm breath blew against my skin in such an irresistible way. Without thinking about what I was doing, I moved over the small space between us and brushed my lips lightly against his. My heart pounded unsteadily, but then beat faster as I pressed my mouth to his again, unable to believe how good this felt. My whole body responded. I felt as if someone had lit a bonfire in my very core. I lifted my arms to rest them on Yami's shoulders, then moved one hand up the back of his neck and into his hair. Before I could even notice it, our mouths were parted and I felt our breath join together. I only stopped when Yami carefully pushed me away.

_He pushed me away._

Panic hit, and I jumped up out of my seat. I could feel my face burning and the sudden movement affected my balance, causing me to sway a little. I must have completely misread the situation, and I felt so stupid for getting myself caught in such a position. My heart had gone from beating hard to breaking into peices. And it hurt.

"Oh, shit." I muttered, raking a shaky hand through my hair. "I'm sorry. I...I..." I couldn't even finish my sentence. I didn't dare look at Yami for fear of what I might see. I was out of the apartment with my hand over my mouth before he had even managed to catch his breath. _What had I just done?_

* * *

><p>"Yugi, wait!" I called after him but it was no good. He was gone in seconds like a speed demon, leaving me alone on the couch. "Fuck!" I said to the silence, placing my head in my hands. I considered running after him, I wanted to, but I expected that he needed some time to himself to think things over. Perhaps he was just shocked by the turn of events. Perhaps I'd scared him. Perhaps he was disgusted to think that he had just kissed another guy. God, I hope not.<p>

I replayed the moment in my head – had I done something wrong? He had seemed into it. But maybe I had been reading the whole situation wrong and made a complete fool out of myself. I had pulled away to tell him how strongly I was attracted to him, but he had jumped up and left before I had even caught my breath. He had thought I had a girlfriend, so he clearly hadn't suspected that I was bi at all. Now that he knew the truth, maybe he wanted nothing to do with me.

That thought stung, but that had to be it, even though I wished it wasn't. I wanted to break something. I wanted to cry, and I hadn't cried in many years. I wanted to run after him but by now it was too late. He was probably already almost back to the dorms. How could I have been so _stupid_? I came on too strong and I'd scared him away. How could I have fallen for him already, anyway? Only a _week_ had passed since we'd met and I was sitting here feeling sorry for myself because he didn't like me back. I felt like I was 15 years old all over again.

The kiss hadn't lasted long, but my heart was still pounding. Yugi seemed to be oblivious to the effect he had on people, especially me. He was so amazing but he didn't seem to know it. He was smart and genuine. I knew so much about him, and yet I still had so much more to learn. I wanted him so much, despite knowing him for such a small amount of time. I couldn't believe the connection I already felt to this guy.

I flopped back on the couch and lay wide-awake, thinking about Yugi and his reaction to our kiss. I was still awake and kicking myself for being so stupid in the early hours of the morning. I had known that Yugi was shy and yet I had clearly pushed him too far. Part of my brain had been telling me to stop, warning me that there were boundaries and that he was probably sensitive. I didn't want to hurt him. Clearly I had, and I was so unbelieveably angry with myself for that.

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Yugi didn't contact me over the weekend, and I didn't call him despite how much I wanted to. I figured he probably wanted space to sort things out and come to terms with whatever had frightened him off, but I was worried. Not only was I worried, but I had this ridiculous need to see him. I remembered him telling me that he was on living on campus block D, so I spent my Sunday hanging around the campus in the hopes that I would see him around.

_Nothing_.

I asked around but not many people seemed to know him, and the few people who did recognize him from my description weren't sure which room was his. One girl informed me that she'd seen Yugi come in late on Friday night but she was out with her friends so she didn't pay attention to him. I was tempted to just call him and ask him to meet me but I had the feeling he wouldn't answer or show up. I didn't want to sort this out over the phone, anyway. Yugi couldn't hide from me forever, though. We had class together on Monday. I planned to pull him aside after that and talk to him about what had happened.

So, on Monday, I looked around for him as I entered the lecture hall in the hopes that I could sit next to him or signal that I needed to talk to him. I kept my eyes peeled for those gorgeous and familiar amethyst orbs, but I couldn't see him anywhere. After sweeping the room for the third time I gave up. He wasn't there. Had I scared him so much that he'd even miss class to avoid me? My heart dropped and I slumped into a seat at the back of the class.

Instead of listening to the teacher, I thought about what I should do. I'd send him a text. I'd wait outside Block D if I had to. I paid no attention to the work I was supposed to be doing. Instead I kept replaying the kiss from Friday night, how good it felt. Then I replayed the moment that Yugi got up and ran away. It hurt to think about it. I should have run after him, damn it.

The hour wasn't up but I jumped from my seat, grabbed my bag and left. The teacher called after me but I mumbled something about an upset stomach before the door closed behind me. I headed down the hall. There was a logic class for students who worked ahead. Maybe he was there. He had to be. Because I _had_ to find him.

* * *

><p>In class all I could think about was Yami. I hadn't heard from him over the weekend and I had been too frightened to call him. What would I even say? What if he was disgusted to find that I was gay? I felt as if there could have been something between us. Something...amazing. I knew that we could have been great friends, if not more. I had spent the rest of Friday evening walking around town trying—and failing—to hold back my tears. I had spent the all of Saturday working on school stuff to keep my mind off of him and what happened. On Sunday, I hadn't left my room at all.<p>

I had been too nervous to go to my philosophy lecture that morning because I knew Yami would be there. I knew I couldn't avoid him forever, but I didn't know what I'd say. So instead, I came to the other logic class. I just had to have some time to figure out how to act around him now before I saw him again. This time would give me that chance. But I found it difficult to do the work without having attended the lecture, so I was glad to leave when the hour was up. I darted out of the classroom door and was almost knocked off my feet as I ran into a guy waiting beside the door. I looked up to apologize, and then froze.

It was Yami. Of _course_ it was.

He grabbed hold of my elbow to steady me as the rest of the class walked obliviously past us. I felt my cheeks flush a little and I suddenly felt very self-conscious, but I stood my ground and waited for Yami to say something. We were standing very close, and I tried to stop my lip from tembling. I finally looked up to meet his eyes. I tried to look for something in them. Anger? Hate? Whatever he was feeling, he kept it well hidden—for now at least. Maybe I was just terrible at reading emotions. Either way, I was worried. Not scared, but just apprehensive of what was to come.

"Can we talk?" He asked quietly. I nodded but remained silent. He jerked his head to the right. "At the café?"

"Sure." I said, sounding completely neutral. We walked silently, side by side, to the campus café. His arms were swinging at his sides and at one point his hand brushed against mine. It made my heart jump, but neither of us acknowledged it or spoke. I was relieved to find that the café wasn't busy, which gave us a bit of privacy. We took the table by the window and after ordering a coffee each, Yami looked me straight in the eyes and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," He started, looking down. "Did I scare you? Is that why you left?"

"What?"

"The kiss. I understand if it scared you. I'm sorry. I never wanted to upset you." Concern was etched across his face, and his eyes showed how worried and tired he was. I wondered how much sleep he had gotten over the weekend.

"I'm confused," I said blankly.

"I don't mean to confuse you either. I just..." He covered his face with his hands and peeked at me through his fingers. "Yugi, I really like you."

My heart was pounding so hard that I could feel it in my ears. Was this really happening? "I wasn't confused about the kiss." I finally managed to say. I mean, I was...but I meant that I'm confused as to why you think I was scared. You could never scare me, Yami. I left because I thought I had freaked you out. I thought you would hate me if you realized I was gay, and I couldn't bear that."

Yami'shands slipped from his face, and he looked shocked. He quickly regained his composure and his eyes expressed his relief. "You're gay?"

"I thought me kissing you had already established that."

"You kissing me?" Yami blinked. "Wait. I thought _I_ kissed _you_." At this point, our coffee arrived. I was so absorbed in what Yami had said that I hardly noticed that the woman serving us asked me a question. When I finally processed that she was flirting with me I just stared blankly, unsure of how to react. I was saved when Yami responded for me.

"He's with me." He said, giving her a look. The young woman mumbled an apology walked away quickly.

"I'm...what?" I asked.

"That is if you want to be," he corrected sheepishly.

"Like you even have to ask." I finally mumbled.

* * *

><p>I couldn't believe it. Yugi wanted me. I had spent the weekend convincing myself that I had fucked everything up, so my heart soared knowing that he actually wanted me. I hesitated a second before I reached across the table and let my fingers touch his. I didn't want to rush things, but I felt the need to claim him as mine. I wanted to tell the world that this guy was taken, and that I was the lucky owner of his heart. I felt my whole body warm when he looked at our hands and then at me with a slight smile. His hands were soft and he was blushing slightly.<p>

I sighed with relief. "I'm glad we sorted this out. I spent the whole weekend worrying. I even hung around outside Block D for hours on Sunday hoping I would run into you."

"You did? I'm really sorry—" Yugi started, but I cut him off with a firm squeeze of his hand. I didn't want to hear him say sorry; he had nothing to apologize for.

"Yugi, you don't need to be sorry for anything. It's not your fault." I met his eyes and the raw emotion that I saw reflected back at me was so strong that it shocked me. I wanted him so much. How was it possible that I had developed such strong feelings for this guy in such a short span of time? I felt as if I had been looking for him forever. I had never been interested in serious relationships until I met Yugi; I'd only ever had a series of flings and a couple one night stands. Now all I could think about was being with him and holding him in my arms. He made me feel like a better person.

"Want to go back to my place?" I asked. "You know, to talk and stuff."

"…and _stuff_?" Yugi repeated, raising an eyebrow suggestively. It seemed so out of character that I laughed. For the first time, though, I hadn't been thinking about sex at all. The smile I received in response to my laugh was enough to make me melt.

We walked for the first ten minutes to my apartment making jokes and laughing. The conversation started to dwindle but it didn't matter. I felt comfortable being near him in silence. It was his company that mattered to me. We were walking side by side, and I reached over and carefully took his hand. I prepared myself for him to pull away, we were in public after all, and I knew he was shy and struggled with anxiety issues. But he surprised me by threading his fingers between mine. I stole a sideways glance to find him smiling his killer smile at me. He didn't know it, but that smile was one of the most breathtaking things I had ever laid eyes on.

Turns out that I had fallen in love with the eighth world wonder. Who knew?

At my apartment, we did nothing more than talk. Yugi hesitated in the doorway for a second, but he seemed much more comfortable than before. We sat together on the couch, and it took all my restraint not to reach out and hold his face between my palms. I didn't ever want Yugi to feel awkward around me, so I tried my best to make him comfortable. We talked about past relationships—mostly mine since Yugi informed me that his anxiety got in the way of romance—and our studies and what we wanted to do in the future. Yugi was much more ambitious than I was or ever could be. As we talked, I found myself admiring him in a new way.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 

The next week, our class together was cancelled because our teacher was sick. I looked around for Yugi and found him on campus by the café. He was standing on his own with his back to me, drinking a cup of coffee, so I walked up behind him with a grin and asked, "What 'cha doing?"

Yugi gave a small jerk and spun around. When he saw it was me he smiled and replied, "Hey there, stranger."

I bent down so we were eye level and hung my arms on his shoulders. "I was looking for you. Turns out we have the rest of the afternoon free. So..." I paused, trying to think of something to say. "What are you up to?" I was hoping he'd want to spend the afternoon with me, and I found that my heart was beating hard as I waited for his response. I had never been nervous for an answer before.

"Nothing really." He said, holding up his cup. "I was just finishing this." I moved away so he could throw the coffee cup into the trash. "And then I was…" He turned pink. "I was actually about to come looking for you." So he _did_ want to spend the afternoon with me. I had to stop myself from responding like a love struck teenager.

"So, do you want to come back to my apartment?" I asked, grinning. "I got a new game."

"Awesome," He grinned back and took my hand. My heart actually thumped hardly in my chest. This wasn't something that usually happened to me, but I knew I had definitely fallen for him. Fallen really hard.

* * *

><p>After I had kicked Yami's ass several times on the X-box (much to his chagrin), we just sat next to each other on the couch. I placed my controller on the coffee table and leaned back on him, unable to believ how lucky i was in that moment. "I'm glad you're not uncomfortable around me," he commented, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.<p>

"Things seem easier when I'm around you." I admitted. Even though I was still nervous, it was in a good way now. Over the week, I had been able to take Yami's hand without worrying about consequences or if Yami would like it or not. I'd never been able to act this way around anyone else. Yami smiled and looked straight into my eyes. I briefly wondered if the giddiness I felt when he did that would ever wear off.

"You're amazing. But you know that, right?" he asked, brushing his hand through my hair.

"Please. I'm nothing compared to you." I managed to say back. Yami took my chin in his fingers and stared at me.

"Don't ever doubt it, Yugi." He said, and his face got closer. I felt his lips touch mine, and unlike that night when I had misjudged everything, he didn't pull away. He kissed me deeply, holding my face in his hands. Something inside me snapped, and I wrapped my arms around his back to pull him closer. I just wanted to hold him forever. When our mouths opened, his tongue carefully slid in mine and brushed against the roof of my mouth. I pushed back against it with my own tongue. It was hard to breathe, and even though I didn't want to, I pulled back slightly, but not completely. I wasn't able to leave his lips all the way. I let my fingers gently caress his jaw line.

I was in new territory—things like this just did not happen to me. Not because I didn't want them to, but because I had always been so scared to let them. I avoided intimacy despite how much I yearned for it. Part of me felt glad that I had been that way—it made my time with Yami so much more special. At risk of sounding really cliché, I felt just like the people did in the books and movies. These feelings were so raw and new.

My body moved on it's own, shifting till I was straddling Yami's lap. He looked surprised for a minute, but I leaned across the space and kissed him again. Yami pulled his shirt up over his head, breaking our kiss, before throwing it to the floor. He began kissing under my jaw and down my neck, and I pulled him closer to me yet again. He kissed further down my neck and across my shoulder. I couldn't believe how free I felt; my anxiety was gone, all I could feel and think about was Yami and the emotions that he had awoken within me. A soft sigh blew past my lips, and I hugged him close to me, still unable to believe it was all real. It was nothing short of amazing. Before I could stop the urge, I started to laugh and I felt my eyes water.

Yami stopped and looked at me.  
>"What is it?" he sounded concerned.<p>

"It's nothing," I said, wiping my eyes with my arm quickly before he got the wrong idea. "It's just…happiness." I smiled. "I'm just really glad I met you." Yami's smile was so bright, and then he connected our lips again. I found it odd how I could practically taste the happiness between us. I was so complete. He lifted my shirt up at the front. I resisted at first, still feeling a little insecure in myself despite what he had said earlier. He didn't push, he just stopped and took my hands in his.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I don't know. I don't want you to see my body and think... you know..." I felt stupid just saying it. I wanted to be exactly what Yami wanted, and I was suddenly worried that I wouldn't be good enough.

"Didn't I just tell you how amazing you are?" He said, giving me a serious look. "I mean it. You're smart, charming, kind, and ambitious—you're pretty much everything I wish I was." With those words, I was able to gather up all the courage I had and tak emy shirt off. He kissed me again before he leaned down and gently grazed his teeth across my left nipple. I sucked in a startled breath and arched my back. What was this feeling? I didn't know, but I decided that I liked it. A lot.

"Yami..." I breathed.

"Should I stop?" He looked genuinely concerned and the intensity of his stare made me look away.

"O-of course not." I admonished. "Sorry. I just…I don't know why I said your name." I stopped talking. I wasn't making any sense. Why did his name feel so good for me to say? Such a thing was impossible, and yet here we were.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop, and I will."

"I wouldn't have let you go so far if I didn't want this," I said softly, holding his face between my hands. Yami laughed lightly and kissed me until i pulled away. "Wait…I need to get out of my jeans." I was finding it difficult to construct coherent sentences now. I got off of him and to my feet unsteadily. Taking my hand, he led me into the bedroom.

Once there, Yami took off the remainder of his own clothes besides his boxers and then began to do the same for me. He was slow and gentle, making sure that I was comfortable as he did it. During the process, we both somehow stumbled and fell right onto the bed. We both jerked, surprised. But then we both laughed and it broke the tension. But even so, my heart was pounding and, when I was finally lying under him in just my boxers, I raised my hands to my face.

"Oh, my god..." My voice was muffled by my hands. "This is harder than I thought it would be..."

"Yugi." His voice was at my ear, and he was pulling my hands down and away from my face. "You're being silly." He was so close that I could feel his breath against my ear. He kissed my cheek and then lightly kissed my lips before leaning back so I could see his face. We stood there for a moment, just staring at each other. He then rested his forehead into my shoulder. "I just can't believe how lucky I am."

"Me neither." I said back, running my hands through his soft hair. He lifted his head back up and began yet another assault on my mouth, his tongue swirling against my own. His hand wandered down the length of my arm, then brushed against my stomach while he was still kissing me intensely. I wrapped my arms around him and brushed my hands up his back, pulling him into me. I felt safe with Yami. He wanted me. I wanted him.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." I whispered as he pulled my boxers off. "I've never done anything like this before." He looked at me, resting his hand on my now bare hip.

"If you're not ready, we can wait." He said. I only stared at him. I couldn't believe he was still giving me the chance to back out. It was funny and nice and stupid all at the same time.

"Yami. Please stop asking me shit like that and just have sex with me." I couldn't believe I had said the words so bluntly and carefree. I had never been able to say such a thing in my entire life. But I didn't regret it. There was no way he was going to do all of this to me and then stop. Then I'd be sexually frustrated on top of everything else. Yami gave a low chuckle as he leaned over me to the side of the bed, opening a bedside drawer. He pulled out a bottle of lube.

"I just want you to be sure. It can hurt your first time." He watched me. "I just don't want you to regret anything."

"Like I could ever regret you." I replied, pulling him closer with my hand on his neck so I could kiss him. Before I knew it, he was carefully inserting a finger into me. It was weird but I adjusted quickly, nodding to let him know that I was okay. He added a second finger, and after I had adjusted to that, a third. By this point I was feeling a rush of so many different things. To my embarrassment, a low moan came from my throat, and I could hear Yami was breathing heavily as well.

"Yami." I said, stuggling to find the right words as he removed his fingers. "Just do it…"

"…I'm scared of hurting you." He admitted quietly, and I opened my eyes to see him worrying his lip between his teeth. "I don't want to cause you pain."

"I'll tell you if you hurt me," I told him, reaching up to touch the line forming between his eyebrows. "If you keep worrying so much, you'll get wrinkles, you know."

He laughed at that, and he seemed to relax. Both his hands rested on my sides, and I felt the tip of him press against me. He pushed forward and I gave an involuntary gasp. The mix of pleasure and pain was so intense that I couldn't move. Before you can ask, yes. It hurt. It hurt like a bitch. Yami stopped moving instantly, allowing me time to adjust. I didn't know if I could though. He wasn't even all the way in me, and already I was having trouble breathing. But I wanted him to continue. I needed to get over this difficult stretch. And I would.

"Just do it," I panted out, grabbing his shoulders and closing my eyes tightly.

He hesitated for a long moment before he gave one large thrust and filled me. I cried out before I could stop myself. I tightened up and gripped his shoulders. He leaned down next to my ear and started talking in a really soothing voice as a few tears leaked from my eyes. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my head in the crook of his neck, letting myself relax against him. After another minute, I pulled back and gave him a light kiss on his cheek, signaling that it was okay; that he could continue.

He pulled out and thrust back in, and even though it hurt still, I felt something else. I cried out again, but for a different reason. The pain was still there, but this strong pleasurable feeling almost overpowered it. He kept moving, picking up pace with each thrust. Something was coiling tighter and tighter inside me, and I leaned up to crush my lips against Yami's. The pain was almost gone—though I knew it would hurt again when we were done—and in its place was this huge wave of ecstasy that was about to crash over. I moaned loudly when he suddenly hit something inside me. Stars burst before my eyes, and I clutched him closer. But it still seemed like we weren't close enough. It felt like this huge weight was on my chest, and I gasped for air.

His hand moved over to touch my erection, and I let out another moan. Our lips found each other and our tongues started another hot dance. Before I could prolong it, I reached the top of my wave and came. I've heard stories and such, but I hadn't known an orgasm could feel this _good_. My whole body felt like it was trembling. I was gasping for air and after another few seconds, Yami came, too.

He collapsed on top of me, pulling himself out of me and wrapping me into a tight embrace. I was exhausted. I leaned onto his sweaty body, and turned my head so that I could kiss him again. He looked at me, eyes showing me what he couldn't say for lack of oxygen. I closed my eyes and managed to say a quiet, breathless "Thank you," before I fell to sleep in his arms.

Oh, yeah. There was no doubt about it. I was in love.


End file.
